This tool is a first-step diagnostic data collection and printing script.
Due to specifics of the Windows OS and major target user base (of this project) being Windows users, there are no plans for other OS support.
Frankly, I'll just have to make tailored tools for other operating systems in that case.
ezchk collects some GENERAL information of YOUR computer and current network availability status. However, the ACCESS POINT INFORMATION of your network ARE COLLECTED IN FULL.
This means you SHOULD NOT send this to anyone outside of your household, company, or school.
This policy was chosen due to original intended use: for tech support within the same organization by a local administrator.
- Motherboard name and model
- CPU manufacturer, name, data width ("bits"), No. (enabled/all) cores, threads
- Network interface (ipconfig, netsh, and PS Get-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty)
- Operating system version and latest patches
- Summary of configuration files (etc\hosts)
- Network function verification (DNS test against example.com)
- Anonymized MAC Addresses. We hide most of the meaningful part of your MAC addresses, but retain: the first half (manufacturer identifier) and the last two letters (for identification purposes on our side, if needed). See below for even more details.
- Access point you are currently connected to. This directly has to do with infrastructure diagnosis. Also see below.
- Your domain name (may reveal your workplace/organization). We need this to see if there are no faulty configuration files.
- Custom routing information or configuration that the software may not properly recognize and remove.
By running this tool, you consent that the log file generated will contain this information. You however control who you send it to, and you are of course free to edit the log file before submitting it to your tech support.
- Unique IDs like IAID/DUID (for network configuration) and GUID (network interface identifier) in some designated fields are completely hidden.
- Your host name in designated fields are completely hidden.
Some of your hardware identifiers (MAC Addresses) are partially hidden. We currently mask addresses like 00:11:22:33:44:55 to 00:11:22:XX:XX:55. The first half is your Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI), a.k.a. Manufacturer ID, which helps your tech support identify the brand of your network interfaces or mobile device. The last number pair in the second half is kept to help your tech support identify different network interfaces (e.g. Wi-Fi and cabled-LAN) belonging to the same brand on your computer, or various virtual network interfaces introduced by software and utilities.
As described earlier, the MAC address of your "connected-to" access point is NOT hidden. This is to help your tech support identify weak points in the network. Therefore, you should not submit the log file to people outside your company or school.
- Download the "batch" file called "ezchk-win.bat" to your computer.
- Double click to run the batch file.
- Send the generated log file (ezchk-log.txt) to your tech support.
The log file should be in the same place as the batch file. It should be somewhere in C:\Users\(YourName)\
- Why was this made? We want to address problems of local IT users who might not be knowledgeable in CLI operations. This tool is expected to reduce the number of IT center visits and stuff arising from "user can't ipconfig and come crying at our helpdesks."
- Why Windows only? Our organization runs 99% on Windows. The rest 1% who use Mac or Linux can potentially solve their own problems or at least run ifconfig and cry through the mail instead.
- ezchk? Really? Yep. It's that E-Z. G-G-E-Z. If you're asking about the naming convention: I'm not a creative person.
- No ping or nslookup 8.8.8.8 or other DNS? Our org blocks them. It's useless for us, right now, so I'm not focusing on that.
- Why run PowerShell from BAT instead of just using a PS1 script file? This is because BAT files can be run without permission requirements even if they do invoke PowerShell. Also, they are tried-and-true to be double-clickable, which is important for people unfamiliar with file property configuration. PowerShell is used so we can obtain much more diagnostic data that would take multiple steps with BAT and CMD instructions, and also used to "standardize" the output, freeing it from OS influences such as language configuration.
Lead Author: Chawanat Nakasan
Email (current): {firstname}@staff.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
Proudly Programmed in Kanazawa!
Copyright is retained by the Author and license is granted through the MIT License. See license file for details.